JUPITER ET LE PASSAGER
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Often, people make big promises. They feel very scared then. But do they keep them?
When danger is gone, people often forget. They forget the big promises they made. They only want new things. Old promises are forgotten.
Sky God is very strong. He knows when people are not honest. He sees all bad deeds. His thunder is a sign. It shows that he is watching.
A man was on a boat. A very big storm came. He was very, very scared. He promised Sky God many cows. It was a huge promise. But he had no cows.
The storm stopped. The man was safe on land. He gave Sky God a tiny gift. It was just a little smoke. He felt very clever. He thought he tricked Sky God.
Sky God saw the man's trick. He was not happy. He felt very angry. He would teach him a lesson.
Days later, Sky God sent a dream. The man had a special dream. In the dream, there was a map. It showed a big treasure.
The man woke up. He was very excited. He jumped out of bed. He quickly went to the place. He hoped to find the treasure.
But he did not find treasure there. He found some tricky, mean men instead. These men were very bad.
The man had only one small coin. He tried to trick the tricky men. He promised them a huge treasure. It was a big, fake treasure. It was hidden in a different village.
The tricky men listened well. They did not believe the man. They were smart. They knew he was lying again. He was a big liar.
The tricky men were very angry. The man tried to trick them. They did not like this. They took him away. He would learn a very hard lesson.
The men said, "No more tricks!" He had nothing left. He lost all because of lies. His tricks cost him much.
Original Story
JUPITER ET LE PASSAGER.
Oh! combien le péril enrichiroit les dieux,
Si nous nous souvenions des vœux qu’il nous fait faire!
Mais, le péril passé, l’on ne se souvient guère
De ce qu’on a promis aux cieux;
On compte seulement ce qu’on doit à la terre.
Jupiter, dit l’impie, est un bon créancier;
Il ne se sert jamais d’huissier.
Eh! qu’est-ce donc que le tonnerre?
Comment appelez-vous ces avertissements?
Un passager pendant l’orage
Avoit voué cent bœufs au vainqueur des Titans.
Il n’en avoit pas un: vouer cent éléphants
N’auroit pas coûté davantage.
Il brûla quelques os quand il fut au rivage:
Au nez de Jupiter la fumée en monta.
Sire Jupin, dit-il, prends mon vœu; le voilà:
C’est un parfum de bœuf que ta grandeur respire.
La fumée est ta part: je ne te dois plus rien.
Jupiter fit semblant de rire;
Mais, après quelques jours, le dieu l’attrapa bien,
Envoyant un songe lui dire
Qu’un tel trésor étoit en tel lieu. L’homme au vœu
Courut au trésor comme au feu.
Il trouva des voleurs; et, n’ayant dans sa bourse
Qu’un écu pour toute ressource,
Il leur promit cent talents d’or,
Bien comptés, et d’un tel trésor:
On l’avoit enterré dedans telle bourgade.
L’endroit parut suspect aux voleurs; de façon
Qu’à notre prometteur l’un dit: Mon camarade,
Tu te moques de nous; meurs, et va chez Pluton
Porter tes cent talents en don.
XIV
Story DNA
Moral
Those who try to deceive the gods or others will ultimately face their just consequences.
Plot Summary
A man caught in a storm promises Jupiter a hundred oxen if he survives, despite owning none. Once safe, he offers only a meager smoke offering, believing he has outsmarted the god. Jupiter, angered by this deceit, sends the man a dream about a hidden treasure. The man rushes to find it but encounters robbers, to whom he again promises a vast, non-existent treasure. Realizing his trickery, the robbers kill him, ensuring he delivers his empty promises to the underworld.
Themes
Emotional Arc
arrogance to despair
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
La Fontaine's fables often drew upon classical sources (Aesop, Phaedrus) and were intended as moral lessons for the French court and wider society, often satirizing human folly.
Plot Beats (12)
- The narrator observes that people forget vows made to gods once danger passes, only remembering earthly debts.
- The narrator questions the impious who think Jupiter is a lenient creditor, reminding them of thunder as a warning.
- During a storm, a passenger vows a hundred oxen to Jupiter, though he owns none, making an empty promise.
- Upon reaching shore safely, the passenger burns a few bones, offering only smoke to Jupiter and declaring his debt paid.
- Jupiter pretends to laugh but plans his revenge.
- Days later, Jupiter sends a dream to the passenger, revealing a location where a great treasure is supposedly buried.
- The passenger rushes to the location, eager to claim the treasure.
- He finds robbers instead of treasure.
- Having only one coin, the passenger promises the robbers a hundred talents of gold from a buried treasure in a specific village.
- The robbers become suspicious of his story.
- One robber, realizing the passenger is mocking them with another empty promise, kills him.
- The robber tells the passenger to take his promised hundred talents as a gift to Pluto in the underworld.
Characters
Jupiter
A powerfully built, imposing figure of immense stature, radiating an aura of divine authority. His form is muscular and well-proportioned, indicative of his strength as the king of the gods. He carries himself with an air of supreme confidence and a subtle, knowing amusement.
Attire: Clad in a flowing, deep indigo chiton made of fine, heavy linen, draped elegantly over one shoulder and secured with a wide, embossed gold belt. Over this, he wears a crimson chlamys, a short cloak, fastened at the shoulder with a large, ornate golden fibula depicting an eagle. His sandals are simple, sturdy leather, but with gold straps.
Wants: To uphold the sanctity of vows made to the gods and to punish those who attempt to deceive him or take his power lightly.
Flaw: Can be provoked by disrespect and deceit, leading him to exact elaborate revenge.
Remains consistent as a powerful, just (in his own divine way) and vengeful god who punishes deceit.
Powerful, cunning, vengeful, observant, and possesses a dry sense of humor. He is not easily fooled and demands respect, especially regarding vows made to him.
The Passenger
A man of average height and build, perhaps a bit thin from a life of travel and uncertainty. His movements are quick and somewhat furtive, reflecting his opportunistic and deceitful nature.
Attire: Practical, worn traveler's clothes suitable for the Mediterranean region: a simple, coarse wool tunic in muted earth tones (brown or grey), tied at the waist with a rope or leather cord. He wears sturdy leather sandals and carries a small, worn leather pouch at his hip.
Wants: To survive immediate danger and to acquire wealth through any means, including deception.
Flaw: His greed and his belief that he can outsmart the gods, leading to his downfall.
Begins as a desperate man, becomes a deceitful trickster, and ends as a victim of his own greed and Jupiter's retribution.
Opportunistic, deceitful, impious, greedy, and ultimately foolish. He is quick to make promises in times of distress but equally quick to renege on them.
The Robbers
Rough, hardened men, likely of varying builds but all possessing a menacing presence. They are probably lean and strong from a life of crime and outdoor living.
Attire: Practical, dark, and worn clothing suitable for hiding in shadows and moving stealthily. Coarse tunics and trousers in dark greens, browns, or greys, possibly with rough leather vests or cloaks. Sturdy boots or wrapped feet.
Wants: To acquire wealth through robbery and to eliminate any threats or deceivers.
Flaw: Their inherent distrust makes them quick to resort to violence.
They remain consistent as dangerous figures, serving as the instrument of the Passenger's downfall.
Suspicious, ruthless, pragmatic, and violent. They are not easily fooled and prioritize their own gain.
Locations
Stormy Sea
A vast, turbulent sea under a dark, ominous sky, with large waves crashing against a small, vulnerable ship. The air is thick with spray and the sound of thunder.
Mood: Terrifying, perilous, desperate, chaotic
The passenger, caught in a life-threatening storm, desperately vows a hundred oxen to Jupiter if he survives.
Seashore after the Storm
A sandy or rocky shoreline where the passenger has landed after the storm. The immediate aftermath of the tempest is visible, perhaps with debris, but the sky is beginning to clear.
Mood: Relieved, slightly cynical, calm after chaos
The passenger, safe on land, burns a few bones as a token offering to Jupiter, reneging on his grand promise.
Rural Hamlet (Bourgade)
A small, unassuming rural settlement, likely with simple, rustic dwellings and unpaved paths, surrounded by fields or sparse woods. The atmosphere is quiet and perhaps a little isolated.
Mood: Ordinary, unsuspecting, later tense and dangerous
Jupiter sends a dream to the passenger, directing him to a 'treasure' buried in this specific hamlet, leading him into a trap with robbers.